Methods of attaching wood heels to shoes



C. H. JAMES El AL METHODS OF ATTACHING' WOOD HEELS T0 SHOES Filed Sept. 24, 1952 Nov. 1, 1955 2,722,027

3 Sheets-Sheet l Inventors Cyrz'! H James leonard UG Par/ er y y NOV. 1, 1955 c, JAMES ETAL 2,722,027

METHODS OF ATTACHING WOOD HEELS TO SHOES Filed Sept. 24, 1952 s Shets-Sheet 2 [raven tors C 5 r1! HJamezs Leonard LPG Parker Nov. 1, 1955 c. H. JAMES ETAL 2,722,027

\ METHODS OF ATTACHING WOOD HEELS T SHOES Filed Sept. 24, 1952 s Sheets-Sheet m 26 32 1 M m L 52 fnven tors Cyril 7. James United States Patent NIETHODS OF ATTACHING WOOD HEELS TO SHOES Cyril Harry James and Leonard Vassar George Parker,

Leicester, England, assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 24, 1952, Serial No. 311,242

3 Claims. (Cl. 12--147) This invention relates to the attachment of heels to shoes and particularly to improvements in methods of attaching Louis or other full fashioned heels to shoes.

In the attachment of heels to shoes, in accordance with the push-on method disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,391,543, granted December 25, 1945, on an application filed in the names of J. W. Carr and T. B. Clarke, nails are driven in parallel relation into, and are clinched in, the heel seat of the shoe, portions of said nails being left projecting from said heel seat. A heel, the attaching face of which has been pricked to receive parallel projecting portions of the nails, and the heel seat of the shoe, are then pressed together, said projecting portions of said nails entering holes pricked in the heel and permanently securing the heel to the shoe.

When Louis heels for example, which are commonly made of wood and are used exclusively in the manufacture of womens shoes, are attached to shoes it is desirable, because of the undercut heightwise curvatures of the side and rear faces of the heel, that the heel attaching nails shall be toed in, or inclined inward at considerable angles as they penetrate the heel attaching portion of the heel, thereby insuring that said nails, which should be arranged as close as possible to the periphery of said attaching face, shall not be arranged too close to or project through said side and rear faces of the heel. In accordance with the present invention, when a wood Louis heel into which double ended nails have been driven, in toed-in relation, is attached to a shoe the projecting portions of said nails are bent into substantial parallel relation and at right angles to the tread face of the heel, recesses are formed in the heel seat of a shoe, and relative approaching movement is effected between the heel and the heel seat of the shoe to cause the projecting portions of said nails to be driven into the recesses in the heel seat of the shoe and to be clenched in said heel seat to attach said heel to the shoe. The quick and effective driving of nails in toed-in relation into the attaching face of the heel and the subsequent bending of the nails into parallel relation may be effected by the use of a machine such as is disclosed in an application for United States Letters Patent Serial No. 494,849, filed March 17, 1955, in the name of Lawrence Mawbey, and the attachment of said heels to shoes may be advantageously effected by the use of the machine disclosed in said United States Letters Patent No. 2,391,543.

The present invention consists in hereinafter described improvements in the attachment of a heel to a shoe, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a Louis heel in the attaching face of which nail receiving holes have been formed;

Fig. 2 is a view, partly in front elevation and partly in section on line IIII of Fig. 1, showing the illustrative heel in a position in which it is clamped in the machine disclosed in application Serial No. 494,849 and showing in section portions of one of six nail driving and orienting units of said machine;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing parts of said machine after a nozzle of said one unit of the machine has received a nail and a guide block of said one unit has been moved into a position in which a driver in said block is in alinement with a passage of the nozzle;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing the driver after it has forced one of the nails in the nozzle into engagement with the attaching face of the heel;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 showing the nozzle and the driver after the nail has been driven into the appropriate hole in the attaching face of the heel, five other nails being shown driving into the heel;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the heel and portions of said unit after the driver has been retracted to a raised position away from the nozzle in order to allow said nozzle to be tilted to an upright position;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6 showing portions of nails which project from the attaching face of the heel arranged in parallel relation as the result of the abovementioned tilting action of the nozzles of said units;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 but showing the nozzle raised away from the associated nail preparatory to removing the heel from the machine and attaching the heel to a shoe;

Fig. 9 shows in perspective the heel which is shown partly in section in Fig. 8 and which is ready for attachment to a shoe;

Figs. 10 and 11 are sections through portions of a heel and the heel seat of a shoe during intermediate and final stages respectively of the attachment of the heel to the shoe by the use of the machine disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,391,543;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view showing on an elongated scale one of the heel attaching nails; and

Fig. 13 is a plan view of the rear end portion of the shoe after the heel has been attached thereto.

The invention will be described with reference to the attachment of a Louis heel 22, which comprises a wood heel block 24 and a leather cover 26 for example, to a shoe 28 (Figs. 10, 11 and 13) by the use of double-ended nails 30 (preferably six). The nails 30 are formed from round wire, opposite ends of said nails having points 32 which are formed by cutting the wire along parallel planes to form end or bevel faces 34 (Figs. 2, 3 and 12). In order to facilitate the clinching of the nails 30 against a heel plate 36 (Figs. 10 and 11) of a last 38 upon which is mounted the shoe 28 to which the heel is to be attached, the nails are provided with notches 40 (Fig. 12) formed in the sides of the nails opposite the inner ends of the bevel faces 34. The notches 40 may be referred to as weakened portions of the nails and are arranged at the sides of the nail opposite associated bevel ends 34 and adjacent to inner portions of said bevel ends.

Preparatory to driving the nails 30 into the attaching face 42 of the heel 22 there may be formed in said attaching face, preferably by the use of a machine (not shown) having a plurality of drills, holes 44 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4), which extend toward the central portion of the heel as they extend away from the attaching face of the heel and may be described as toed-in holes, having diameters somewhat smaller than the diameters of the nails 30 which, as above explained, are subsequently driven in toed-in relation into said holes and accordingly into the upper end of the heel. In preparing Louis or full fashioned Cuban heels (not shown), which are made of built-up leather lifts, for attachment to shoes it is contemplated also to form holes identical with the holes 44 in the attaching faces of said heels. It is contemplated, however, to dispense with the drilling of holes in this type of work as well as in the preparation of the wood heels 22 for attachment to shoes 28. The holes 44 which are formed in the attaching face 42 of the heel extend downward and inward of the heel and may be described as extending from the attaching face of the heel downward or toward the tread endor face 48 of the heel and generally toward an axis 46 which extends heightwise of the heel approximately through the central portion of the attaching face of the heel, the holes and accordingly the nails 30, driven into said holes as hereinafter described, being arranged in toed-in relation at an angle A (Figs. 2 and '5') of about 70 to the tread end 'orface 48 of the heel. The nails are inserted in the holes '44 in the attaching face '42 of the heel 22 with their upper or outer halves projecting from the attaching face and with their exposed or outer bevel faces or ends 34 all facing upward and inward or generally toward said axis 46 of the heel. The nails 30 may be partially driven into the heel 22 as above described and may have projecting portions thereof bentinto parallel rel'ation'by the use of the machine which is disclosed in said application Serial No. 494,849 'and which may be referred to as a nail driving and orienting machine and comprises a plurality of nozzles 50 and drivers 51 movable in rectilinear paths 53 (Figs. 2 and 3) toward the heel 22, after said heel has been positioned and effectively clamped against movement by the use of suitable mechanism (not shown) of said machine, to drive portions of the nails into the holes 44 formed in the heel, said nozzles thereafter being swung inward or generally toward the axis 46 substantially about their portions of engagement with the attaching face of the'heel to move the projecting'portions of the nails into parallel relation and at substantially right angles to the tread face 48 of the heel. Associated'drivers 51, nozzles 50 and guide blocks 56 for the nails 30 and the drivers 51 may be said 'to form portions of nail driving and orienting units of the machine, there being six of said units.

The nails 30 are'releasedfrompassages 54 in the guide blocks 56 and are dropped into passages '58 of the nozzles 50 where they may be retained temporarily by suitable springs (not shown). The guide blocks '56 are then swung in arcs 57 outward of the heel with reference to associated nozzles 50, away from the vertical axis 46 ofthe heel 22 to aline passages '62 of theblocks with associated nail passages 58 of the nozzles 50, the drivers '51 then being moved downward through 'the passages 62, 58 in the blocks and the nozzles respectively to force the nails 36,1then suspended in the nozzles, out of said nozzles until the lower ends of the nails meet resistance of the heel 22 as shown in Fig. 4, a rim '52 of the attaching face 42 of which has been properly positioned and clamped in a predetermined plane with reference to the nozzles.

It is desirable that the exposed bevel faces or ends 34 (Figs. 2, 3 and 12) of the'nails 30 shallbe oriented was to face inward and upward of the heel when driven, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, in order that said nails may later be clinched outward of the heel to their positions shown in Figs. 10, 11 and 13 after said nails have been forced against the heel plate 36 of the last 33 during the attachment of the heel to the shoe. In order to orient the bevel faces-or ends 34of the nails 30 preparatory to driving said nails into the holes 44, said drivers 51 may be rotated about a quarter of a turn about their axes respectively as the nails are driven from their waiting or suspended positionsshown in Fig. 3 to their positions shown in Fig. 4 in'which the leading portions of the nails-first engage the heelythe end faces 65 of the drivers 51 engaging the upper or exposed faces '34 of the nails and during their combined lengthwise and rotary movement turning or orienting, if necessary, the associated nails-to their desired positions.

After the nails 30 have been moved into contact with the attaching face 42 of the heel, the nozzles 50 together with the drivers 51 are moved toward the heel in said rectilinear paths 53 extending lengthwise of the nails from their'positions shown in Fig. 4-to their positions shown in Fig. .5 causing said nails to-be driven into the holes 44 if'an-y areformed in the heelorinto the solid wood heel block when no holes have been drilled in the attaching face of the heel. The drivers 51 are thereafter retracted to their starting positions shown in Fig. 6 away from the nozzles 50 which are thereafter rotated or tilted generally inward toward the axis 46 to their positions shown in Fig. 7 about their portions of engagement with the attaching face of the heel, thereby bending the projecting portions of the nails into parallel-arrangement and into positions in which they are disposed approximately at right angles to the tread face 48 of the heel. After raising the nozzles 50 from their positions shown in Fig. 7 they are raised and swung back to theirstarting positions shown in Fig. 2, the heel then being removed from the positioning and clamping mechanism of the machine preparatory to attaching the 'heel to the shoe 28, the heel seat of which has preferably been pricked to form holes 66 for receiving the nails projecting from the heels, said holes 66 being approximately parallel and having a pattern substantially identical with the pattern of the projecting portions of the nails driven'into the'hecl.

After the heel 22 has been properly positioned with relation to the fitted heel seat 68 of the shoe, with the nails projecting from the heel in register with the holes 66 formed in said heel seat, relative movement generally lengthwise of said projecting portions of the nails and the holes 66 is effected between the shoe and the heel by the use of the machine disclosed in said Letters Patent No. 2,391,543, causing the nails to enter said holes and to be clinched against the heel plate 36 of the last 38 to their positions shown in Fig. 10 and thereafter to their positions shown in Fig. 11, thereby permanently attaching the heel to the shoe.

Although the invention has been described as including the drilling of the holes 44 in the attaching face of the heel, this operation may be eliminated, the nails being driven into theheels without the need of previous drilling. It has been found that although the drivers 51 are not rotated as they drive the nails 30 they have a tendency to rotate the nails as they drive the nails from their suspended positions shown in Fig. 3 to their positions shown in Fig. 4 in which they are in contact with the attaching face of the heel. Accordingly, rotation of the drivers 51 as they act on the nails 30 may be dispensed with, it being found, however, that rotation of the drivers insures better orientation of said nailes.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. That improvement in methods of attaching wood heels to shoes which comprises driving into the attaching face of a wood heel in toed-in relation portions of double-pointed nails, leaving the remaining portions of said nails projecting from said face, bending the portions of said nails projecting from the attaching face into parallel relation and at right angles to the tread face of the heel, forming recesses in the heel seat of a shoe, and effecting relative approaching movement between the attaching face of the'heel and the heel seat of a shoe to cause the projecting portions of said nails to be driven into the recesses in the heel seat of the shoe and to be clinched in said heel seat to attach said heel to the shoe.

2. That improvement in methods of attaching wood heels to shoes which comprises orienting in toed-in relation to the attaching face of a wood heel double-pointed nails, which have inner and outer single bevel ends, with their outer ends facing away from the attaching face of the heel and toward a generally central heightwise axis of the heel, driving into the attaching face of the heel in said toed-in relation portions of the oriented nails, leaving the remaining portions of said nails projecting from the attaching face of the heel, bending the projecting portions'of said nails into parallel relation and intopositions in which they are disposedat right angles to the tread face of the heel, and effecting relative movement of approach between the heel and the heelseat-of. a shoe upon a last in a direction extending generally heightwise of the shoe to cause the nails to be driven into the heel seat of the shoe and the outer ends of the nails to be clinched by engagement with the last away from said axis whereby to attach the heel to the shoe.

3. That improvement in methods of attaching wood heels to shoes which comprises orienting in toed-in relation to the attaching face of a wood heel double-pointed nails, each of which has inner and outer single bevel ends and weakened portions arranged at the sides of the nail opposite associated bevel ends and adjacent to inner portions of said ends, with their outer bevel ends facing away from the heel and toward a generally central heightwise axis of the heel, driving the oriented nails in said toed-in relation lengthwise into said attaching face of the heel and leaving the remaining portions of said nails projecting from said face, bending the projecting portions of said nails into parallel relation and at right angles to the tread face of the heel, forming in the heel seat of a shoe which is mounted on a last and to which the heel is to be attached, a plurality of parallel holes 20 arranged in the same pattern as that of the projecting portions of said nails, and efiecting relative approaching movement between the attaching face of the heel and the heel seat of the shoe in a direction generally lengthwise of the projecting portions of said nails to cause the nails to extend into the holes in the heel seat of the shoe and to be clinched away from said axis about their weakened portions by reason of the engagement of their bevel ends with the last whereby to attach the heel to the shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,289,054 Perri Dec. 24, 1918 1,345,023 Perri June 29, 1920 2,200,385 Eich May 14, 1940 OTHER REFERENCES Das ABC der SchuhFabrikation, April 15, 1938, pages 539-540. Copy in Div. 11. 

